Hunter X Hunter

Looking back to 2014, I realized a lot of crazy cool stuff had happened. I mean, a much beloved Hunter X Hunter (2011) series had ended and it ended well. Naruto manga is now officially wrapped up. Kuroko no Basuke manga too. Of course, I’ve read news about sequels and stuff, but hey, things aren’t going to be same. Characters lineup will probably be a little different, etc. So just have a moment and take it all in.

Anyway, as per tradition, I cannot NOT write this post. It’s like a quick post to remind myself and hopefully recommend others good anime series in 2014. The criteria is that the anime series must end in 2014, regardless of when it started airing. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair to rate a series that is still airing right?

I came across Hunter X Hunter a few years back when my friend introduced me to the first anime series. At the time, I was a strictly shounen genre kind of anime viewer. Since it has a familiar feel to it as it shares the generic shounen format, I immediately love watching the series. I didn’t finish the series so when the 2011 version was announced, I knew I had to watch it.

Fast forward today, it’s been roughly three years since its first episode aired. Throughout the 148 episodes, I was thoroughly entertained by the adventures of Gon and Killua. It’s safe to say that each arc has its own uniqueness, different, but at the same time, equally entertaining.

Since the beginning of human-eating bug crisis, it’s interesting to see how much Gon and Killua had grown, in terms of raw strength, emotional strength and their friendship. I remember saying (tweeted?) that I couldn’t imagine Gon and Killua apart. And much had happened since then.

For starters, since Chimera Ant arc started, I’ve almost forgotten about Hisoka and Phantom Troupe. And then, since the latest arc started for the anime 2011 version, my impression of Hunter X Hunter has changed quite dramatically. If you ask me now, I’ll say the show is giving me nightmares (not literally) with its gruesome, highly evolved ants that hardly look likes the ants I frequently stamp.

But we’re not here to talk about me. We’re here to talk about Gon and Killua.

There are 40 episodes released since Hunter X Hunter (2011) started airing a few months ago. This is a popular series by my standard. And I know very well that it has the potential to run as long as One Piece or Naruto. Still, I picked it up. Tell you what, I have no regrets.

Hunter X Hunter has always been one of the shounen series I want to watch. About three years ago, I had the chance to watch the whole Hunter Examination arc and bits and pieces of others through introduction of a friend. I remember liking the series, but too bad I never had the opportunity to watch all episodes of the original anime. So when Hunter X Hunter was announced and will be a reboot, I knew back then my opportunity has arrived.

This post is written as part of a project organized by Kai. Gotta say, Kai’s invitation’s timing is just right because this is something I’ve been thinking about lately.

Compared to last year, I’ve less free time on hand, which also means less time for anime and other related hobbies. Okay, before I go any further into how I manage my time when it comes to anime and the likes, I shall roughly talk about my usually fixed schedule. I have a day job as software engineer, working only on weekdays, eight to five. After work, I will go for a quick jog or just work out on my stationary bike or do some strength exercises for about 30 minutes. When all that plus more is done, thanks to short commute time in my city, it will be about 7.30 to 8pm. As for weekends, I’ll go for a two-hour badminton session with colleagues on Saturday and doing absolutely nothing on Sunday. I need my rest. This is my usually fixed schedule.